What's this? This is an unbiased just-the-facts news timeline ('newsline') about Michael Brown, created by Newslines contributors. Become a contributor
121 postsOn August 9, 2014 Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson, MO police officer, after a convenience store robbery. The shooting sparked protests in Ferguson and throughout the nation.
The town of Ferguson winds down as tensions settles and protesters leave. Many community leaders and police are relaxed and feel more at ease. Gov. Jay Nixon requests the Missouri National Guard to withdraw. Police makee six arrests, compared with 47 arrests Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson:
Tonight was a very good night for Ferguson. We saw a different crowd that came out tonight … less agitators.
Rapper, T.I. expresses his thoughts on the Brown shooting, the violence in Ferguson, Mo. and the lack of leadership in the African American community.
I think there is a lack of leadership for a few reasons. I think that long ago the systems that had been set in place and excused due to the crack epidemic, the war on drugs that took fathers out of homes that broke up families. There were overwhelming prison sentences given to one substance vs. another version of the same substance. That really broke up a lot of the African American homes.
Holder meets with the Brown family during a stop in Ferguson. Later, St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley students meet with Holder to speak about their personal police encounters. The Justice Departmentsays it will conducts a parallel investigation into possible civil rights violations related to the shooting. Holder:
We’re looking for possible violations of federal civil rights statutes
Nelly speaks on the killing of teenager, Brown. the violent riots in Ferguson, and creating a Brown scholarship fund.
This city is what this city is because of the history. So knowing that and me knowing that I lived through a lot of the history of this city being the way that it is. It is more of a tug of war.
The Brown’s family pathologist, Michael Baden, reveals that Brown is shot six times, including twice in the head. Six bullets entered Brown’s body and at least two bullets ricocheted and traveled back through his body. Brown may have survived all of the wounds except for the shot to the top of his head. A final autopsy report will need the study of Brown’s clothes to verify if they contained any gunshot residue, which will show if one shot was fired at close range.
Attorney Benjamin Crump:
It’s so hard for his mother and father to even deal with the notion that this is what happened. It’s obvious his hands were up at some point because you can tell how the bullet goes from in and out.
When protesters shoot at the police, Governor Nixon requests the help of the National Guard. The midnight curfew does little to end the violence and looting. St. Louis County police pushes CNN‘s, Don Lemon and a group of protesters backward onto a sidewalk.
President Obama announces that Attorney General Eric Holder will go to Ferguson to meet with local leaders and the FBI who will conduct a separate federal civil rights investigation into the shooting. Obama:
While I understand the passion and anger that arise over the death of Michael Brown, giving in to that anger by looting … only serves to raise tensions and stir chaos, he said, adding, There’s no excuse for excessive force by police or any action that denies people the right to protest peacefully.
Ferguson police and protesters confront each other once again when shots are fired throughout the streets. Police bring in armored tanks and seven more people are arrested despite a curfew that takes effect at midnight. The seven individuals will face charges for failure to disperse. Nixon:
It appeared to cast aspersions on a young man that was gunned down in the street. It made emotions raw.
Several Ferguson businesses including a beauty supply shut their doors when looting and vandalism strikes. Looters shatter a glass door, steal jewelry, cash and hair items as they enter the Feel Beauty Supply Store. Curfews are also imposed around the city. Store owner:
This is my living! I have to take care of my family. This is not good. It’s not fair. People are not looking at this as a positive thing, they’re looking at it as a rage, and it’s not about raging. Raging gets you nowhere.
Before the shooting, a convenience store clerk witnesses Brown take a box of Swisher Sweets cigars and hand them to another young man that is standing behind him. The clerk demands for Brown to pay for the cigars when Brown reaches across the counter and grabs several more packages of cigars. Brown proceeds to grab the clerk’s shirt and pushes him into a rack before exiting the store. A security camera records events.
Officer Darren Wilson stops Brown for blocking traffic but notices Brown is holding cigars. Brown raises his hands and Wilson shoots Brown.
Police Chief Thomas Jackson releases Wilson’s name to the public to ease tension and satisfy freedom of information to the public. Wilson is a 28-year-old police officer that has been on the force for six years. He spent two years as a police officer in the city of Jennings and four years with Ferguson. Jackson:
He’s a gentle quiet man. He’s a distinguished officer.
President Obama addresses the nation and asks for local police to be open and transparent about Brown’s death investigation. Obama criticizes police for detaining two journalists during protests.
Now’s the time for healing. Now’s the time for peace and calm on the streets of Ferguson.
Eye witness and friend of deceased teenager Brown retells the events leading to the Ferguson police shooting:
It hurt him a lot, I see it in his eyes it hurt him a lot. It was definitely like being shot like an animal, it was almost like putting someone in execution.
The Ferguson police department plans to open a federal civil rights investigation related to the shooting. The police department discloses that Brown didn’t have a criminal background. In their aim to disperse crowds, police throw tear gas at protesters. The police department expresses their sympathy to the community.
Police are working to restore confidence in the safety of our community and our neighborhoods so that we may begin the healing process.
Johnson, friend and witness of deceased teenager Brown describes the fatal attack and shooting of Brown:
I know what a taser looks like, a taser gun looks like and I know what a regular gun looks like. When I looked at the officer I was staring dead in front of the barrel and almost a second later the gun went off.
Due to social media threats, the name of the officer involved in Brown’s shooting is not revealed. Police Chief Thomas Jackson says he will release the officers name by noon. The officer is now on administrative leave and investigators refuse to reveal the officers race. A bystander witnesses a white police officer with Brown when shots rang out.
Ms. McSpadden and Brown Sr. reveal their son’s personality, future career plans and the negativity surrounding his murder case. Brown Sr.:
He had plans, he wasn’t a bad kid, he wasn’t a bad kid at all. We need the Worlds support.
Brown’s parents hold a press conference to end the violence and retain justice for their son. They plead for citizens not to riot and reflect the peaceful nature of their deceased son. Brown’s mother:
He fixed things. He didn’t create problems. He fixed things. My son was sweet. He didn’t mean any harm to anybody.
St. Louis county police chief, Joe Belmar says that the incident started when Brown, who was unarmed, physically assaulted the police officer, pushing him into the officer’s vehicle. He said there was a struggle inside the car, and at some point Brown reached for the officer’s weapon. One shot was fired inside the vehicle.
Brown suffered fatal gunshot wounds outside of the vehicle, approximately 35 feet from the car. Belmar said multiple shell casings were found at the scene, and that Brown was shot more than once, but an exact number of shots fired has not yet been determined. All the shell casings came from the officer’s weapon. According to Brown’s mother, Brown was visiting his grandmother, and was returning form the store, when he was shot:
They told me how many times my son was shot. Eight.
Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old is shot by a Ferguson police officer after a robbery at a convenience store. Lawyers reveal that the officer doesn’t attempt to resuscitate Brown. A second officer and a supervisor arrive on the scene along with an ambulance to assess Brown. A large crowd confronts officers, yelling such things as ‘Kill the police!”
The St. Louis County NAACP begins an investigation and asks the Federal Bureau of Investigation to assist.
Brown graduates from Normandy High School in St. Louis. He plans to attend Vatterott College, a technical school, on August 11 with plans to become a heating and cooling engineer. He also had plans of becoming an entrepreneur.
Brown has no criminal record as an adult, and had no pending charges, or serious felony convictions as a juvenile.
